Attitudes, Norms, and Behavioral Control Factors Associated with Intention to Receive Cervical Cancer Screening in Hispanic Americans

Cervical cancer screening rates are significantly lower in Hispanic Americans than non-Hispanic Americans. This may lead to thousands of unnecessary deaths per year. The current study sought to understand cervical cancer screening intentions among Hispanic Americans using the Theory of Planned Behavior. 149 Hispanic American women (100 English-speaking and 49 Spanish-speaking) were recruited via Amazon Turk to complete a cross-sectional survey measuring attitudes (medical embarrassment), subjective norms (marianismo beliefs and acculturation), and perceived behavioral control (self-efficacy and health literacy). Hierarchical regression was used to determine the individual and collective influence of these variables on cervical cancer screening intentions. Results differed based on the language of the sample. Country of origin and beliefs in being a pillar for the family were significant predictors of intentions in the English-speaking sample, while beliefs in being virtuous and chaste were significant in the Spanish-speaking sample. In both samples, self-efficacy was a significant predictor of cervical cancer screening intentions Future interventions to increase screening in this population should focus on strengthening self-efficacy concerning cervical cancer screening. Additionally, differences in predictors based on spoken language should be taken into account when encouraging women to obtain screening.